


The Start of Something New

by irisadler



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Developing Friendships, Gen, Magnus Bane & Ragnor Fell Friendship, Private Investigators
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 03:11:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20382715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irisadler/pseuds/irisadler
Summary: A weary, cynical PI gets a new case... and may end up making a new friend.





	The Start of Something New

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [sh_ficletinstruments](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/sh_ficletinstruments) collection. 

> **Prompt:** Film Noir
> 
> Yes, the title is from High School Musical despite the clashing of time periods, mainly because it would drive Ragnor crazy and amuse Magnus greatly.
> 
> (Please don't count this in the voting for this round of ficlet instruments, mods.)

Ragnor looked up and scowled to see a person dressed in shades of teal and orange he could only think of as ‘eye-watering.’ Someone so flashy could only mean trouble.

“Magnus Bane,” the apparition said, sprawling gracefully in Ragnor’s office chair, which was not designed for such treatment and thus had no defense against such a personage.

“Is that supposed to mean something to me?” Ragnor asked with a pointed glare at the emerald leather shoes currently resting carelessly on his desk.

“You haven’t heard of me?” the person asked, looking astonished. “Magnus Bane: Mysterious Heir? Magnus Bane: Society’s Sexiest Scandal? Magnus Bane: Golden Boy? I must admit the last one seems rather ridiculous to me. I’m nearly thirty-five!”

Ragnor nodded grudgingly. “Ah.  _ That  _ Magnus Bane.”

“Yes,” Magnus Bane said, sitting up in the chair and leaning forward. “And I... have a  _ case _ for you.”

Magnus paused after this dramatic pronouncement, as though expecting Ragnor to be surprised.

Ragnor was not. He raised an eyebrow and nodded to the letters adorning the frosted glass of his office door.

_ Ragnor Fell, Private Eye. _

“You astonish me,” Ragnor said dryly. “ _ I _ thought you were going to invite me to tea.”

“Now, now,” Magnus said, shaking back one garish sleeve to idly inspect his perfectly buffed nails, apparently unruffled. “Tea’s for  _ after _ , darling. Business first. I thought you were  _ civilised,  _ Fell.” He winked, his eyes suddenly shrewd and knowing despite his nonchalant posture.

Ragnor barely managed to stifle a snort of laughter. Maybe there was more to the airheaded heir than met the eye.

“Well? What is it?” Ragnor asked, relying on his gruff tone to direct attention away from his near-slip. He hadn’t met someone who truly surprised him in… fuck, he couldn’t even remember how long.

“Mon cherie, my amor…” Magnus said, putting the back of his hand to his forehead as though he were swooning, which Ragnor ignored since he had a no-nonsense policy.

It was simple, straightforward, to the point:  ** _No. Nonsense._ ** End of policy.

Though, if Ragnor was honest with himself, this ‘meeting’ (if it could be called that) was already perilously close to violating said policy.

At the description of a fiance who sounded truly atrocious, Ragnor very nearly didn’t take the case, but there was something about Magnus… Underneath the sardonic humour and the vivid, impeccably tailored clothes, there was something more. Something unexpected and perhaps even innocent. Something in those brown eyes that Ragnor found unexpectedly hard to say ‘no’ to.

Reluctantly, Ragnor agreed to look into the disappearance of this Camille Belcourt, though he had a sneaking suspicion that the most devious thing about the disappearance was the so-called victim herself.

As they left the office, Magnus flung an overly friendly arm around Ragnor’s shoulders, then carefully removed it at Ragnor’s glare. He seemed unruffled, though, as cheerful as ever as they headed down the hallway.

“You know, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” Magnus said.

And he was right.


End file.
